I Will Always Love You
by dreamsaremyescape
Summary: Oneshot! Eli and Clare have an encounter with each other, which could uncover buried feelings. And what do Imogen and Jake have to do with this? Because, when you're in love, nothing makes sense.


**A/N: Just a cute lil' idea I had for a oneshot. So, read and let me know what you think?**

Eli and Imogen were sitting on a bench in front of the Dot; Eli whispered something to Imogen, who was giggling at whatever he was saying. Clare saw what was going on, and rolled her eyes, walking away, fighting the jealous feeling in her heart.

She walked behind an alleyway behind the Dot, when Jake walked up to her. They had gone out for a while, until she had caught him cheating on her with Katie Matlin. He had told her that they were just friends and that after they made their relationship more serious, that he stopped seeing her. But, his statement proved differently, when Clare had walked in on them making out in an empty classroom, after school, one day. They had forgotten to close the door, behind them, and when Clare walked by, to go to her locker, she heard sucking sounds. She peered inside, and saw them making out. She broke up with him, right after.

The only one of her ex-boyfriends who hadn't cheated on her was Eli. God, how she missed him. The truth is, Jake was just a rebound. He made her feel better, made her feel wanted. But, that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted what she had with Eli. She really regretted leaving him in the hospital, like that. He was sick and needed help; she left him behind, like gum, stuck on the bottom of her shoe. She wanted to get back with him, but she always saw him with Imogen, laughing and smiling, and assumed he was over her. So, she decided to go out with Jake.

"Clare, wait up!" Jake called to her, jogging up to her.

"What do you want, Jake? I thought I made it very clear when I dumped you, I wanted nothing more to do with you," Clare snapped, annoyed.

"I wanted to talk to you; I shouldn't have cheated. I miss you, babe. Take me back," he pleaded, though he didn't look so upset when she saw him in the halls, his arm always slung around a different girl.

"Well, I've dealt with cheaters before, and I'm not putting up with you again. So, just go find yourself another prettier, more popular, sluttier girl than me. Don't waste your time, because we both know you don't really want to be with me, nor I with you." With that, Clare started to walk away, only to be yanked back by the waist.

"Let go of me!" Clare struggled against Jake's strong grip, but he wouldn't budge.

"Clare, I tell you when we're over. You don't tell me. Got it?" Jake asked, menacingly. Clare gulped, and stopped struggling, realizing that if Jake wanted her there, she wouldn't be able to get out.

"Now, you've been a very naughty girl. I'm going to have to punish you," he hissed in her ear, making her shiver in fear.

He pushed her against the wall, so they could remain unseen. He started to unbutton her shirt, and Clare struggled, once again.

"Stop moving, bitch! Now, let me take off your clothes." He went back to her shirt, and once all the buttons were undone, he slid it off her shoulders. Next, he went to her tank top. He pulled it up over her head, leaving her in her bra and jeans.

Clare felt dirty, and violated. She wondered if this was how Darcy felt, when she was raped.

She screamed, hoping someone would hear her and come rescue her, but Jake threw his hand over her mouth, muffling the sound. He slapped her across the face.

"Shut up! Stop screaming, or I'm going to make this more painful than it has to be," Jake threatened, putting his hand around her neck, choking her. Clare was slowly losing oxygen, her vision becoming blurred. She was about to collapse, when she felt Jake's hand being suddenly removed from her throat, and watched as someone pushed him away, tackling him to the ground.

Clare leaned against the wall, trying to stay awake. The person had punched Jake and knocked him out, and walked over to her.

"Clare! Are you okay? What did he do to you?" asked a frantic voice that was all too familiar to Clare.

Clare's head was spinning, and she started to fall forward, until the person caught her, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"E-Eli? You saved me. But, why? I deserve whatever he wanted to do to me! I left you alone in the hospital! I should've been there for you, and I just left you there!" Clare was breathing heavily, and once again, her vision went blurry.

"What? Clare don't you _ever_ say that! He was gonna rape you! You don't deserve that! And why would I let him do that to you? Just because we broke up, doesn't mean I don't still care about you. And the hospital thing? I'd be scared, too. What I did wasn't normal. So, I'm not mad that you left. Sure, I'm upset that you broke up with me, especially when I needed you to be there for me, but I love you, and I'm not gonna waste my time being angry over this." Eli said this with sincerity, and Clare knew he was telling the truth.

"Oh, Eli, I love you, too. And I'll always regret leaving you in the hospital. I didn't want to do it, but Alli was telling me all this stuff, and I wasn't thinking straight, and," Clare babbled, but was silenced by Eli putting his fingers to her lips.

"Clare, shhh. It's okay. I forgive you. But, you look like you're seconds to passing out, so let's get you home."

Clare nodded, and Eli wrapped his arm around her shoulders, supporting her weight, while they walked to her house.

"Wait, where's Imogen? I thought she was with you," Clare asked, in a somewhat bitter tone, remembering the manipulative girl who was trying to get Eli to do the opposite of whatever his therapist told him to.

"I don't know; when I heard you scream, I ran off. She gets on my nerves, and she scares me with how much she knows about us," Eli explained.

"Then, why were you laughing with her and whispering stuff in her ear?" Clare questioned, confused.

"I told her I had to go talk to you, and when she saw you walk by, she started giggling, though I have no idea why. She's crazy."

"I do. She was trying to make me jealous; she does it all the time. Whenever I walk by you or her, she gives me a death glare," Clare said, remembering the many looks she'd gotten from the girl, over the past few weeks.

"Clare, I'm sorry. I didn't know she was trying to do that. I don't even know why she's trying to make you jealous. I mean, we're not even going out, and I don't even consider us friends. She always comes up to me and starts talking to me."

By this point, they were walking up Clare's driveway, which was empty.

Clare sighed, thinking about how hateful her parents were towards each other, and how they would wait until the other was long gone from the house, to come over.

"Do you want to come in? I kind of want to talk to you," Clare offered, fiddling with her hands and biting her lip, both nervous habits of hers, which Eli picked up on.

"Clare, you don't have to be nervous; of course I'll come in and talk," Eli replied, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Clare nodded and pulled out her key, sticking it in the lock, and unlocked the door. She stepped through, with Eli trailing behind. She led him to the couch, and took a seat, and he sat next to her, at an angle, so he could face her. He took her small hands in his larger ones, and gave them a comforting squeeze. She took in a deep breath before speaking.

"I have to be honest with you: I still love you, and I probably always will. The second I left you, it's like. . .it was awful. And still, even after all this time, I can't stop thinking about you, and I'm always missing you and everything is just wrong, and you probably think I'm crazy, but I had to tell you this and. . ." she trailed off, her eyes going everywhere, except to Eli's.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of lips on hers, soft and gentle, yet passionate and loving, at the same time. Eli pulled away, and put his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

He smirked and said, "I will always love you."

**A/N: Cute? I thought so, but you can let me know what you think, in a review? And, maybe I could put an epilogue up, if anyone wants one?**


End file.
